Resilient fender and bumper for vehicles



Oct. 25, 1938.

G. GALWEY RES'ILIENT FENDER AND BUMPER FOR VEHICLES Filed June 29, 1937 /NVEN TOR Geoffrey GaZwey @M; W

Ht f'OR v 45 wheels of a vehicle. The metallic members 4 and tailed grooves 24 and 25 provided therein, which 45 Patented Oct. 25, 1938 l I t UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I RESILIENT FENDER AND BUMPER FOR VEHICLES Geofirey Galwey, Fort Meade, S. Dak.

Application June 29, 1937, Serial No. 150,931 Claims. (Cl. 280-152) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manuround in cross-section. In Fig. 3 the tongues 9' iactured and used by or for the Government for and III are substantially in the shape of trungovernmental purposes, without the payment to cated wedges in cross-section. Secured to the me of any royalty thereon. base members 4 and 5 is a cushioning member or I This invention relates to motor vehicles, more element II, preferably of resilient rubber, which 5 particularly it is directed to devices for protecting is co-extensive in length with the base members vehicles against damageso as to provide a yieldable facing therefor. The

An object of the invention is to provide fenders cushioning member II comprises a face or body and bumpers of improved construction for motor portion I2 having inwardly tapered wing-like exvehicles, including resilient guards for effectively tensions I3 and I4, the whole being moulded into 10- cushioning, absorbing shocks and preventing the an integral one-piece finished form. The body fenders and bumpers from being dented, bent or portion I2 of the cushioning member II is prootherwise disfigured from contact with'obstacles vided with longitudinal grooves I5 and I6 prosuch as other vehicles and which preserve the duced by an inwardly-extending central longituoriginal shape thereof. 1 dinal flange portion I1, which is substantially T- 15 With the above and other objects and advanie shaped in cross-section. The beaded longituditages in view, the invention consists of features nal edges 9 and I 0, or 9' and I 0', respectively, oi of construction and arrangement of parts which the base members 4 and 5, are adapted to'interwill hereinafter appear. For purposes of illuslock within the grooves IS-and I6 or the cushion- I tration the invention may be described and ing member I I with the central portion ll of the claimed with reference to the accompanying cushioning members, engaging the inner sur-. drawing in which like numbers distinguish like faces of the base members, to form a unitary parts and i whichstructure therewith. The cushioning member ll Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a motor vehicle havis moulded or vulcanized to the metallic base m my invention applied t t members 4 and 5 at its contacting surfaces with 25 Fig. 2 is a perspective view partly in section of the upper tapered extension I3 of the cushioning an improved fender and bumper, including resilimember overlying the outer portion of the base ent guards and so much of a vehicle as is neceser 4 a d h ow tapered extension sary to show their connection therewith; thereof underlying the outer surface of the lower Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the improved a e member 5- y projecting the metallic base 30 "fender and guard secured to a vehicle; m mbers 4 and 5 substantially strai h outwa d Fig. 4 is a perspective view partly in section, from the body 6 of the vehicle and forming the showing the construction of the bumper and its enlarged ads 9 d 0. 0 and On e r fli t guard; outer longitudinal edges thereof, greater resist- Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a modified ance against collision of the vehicle with another 35 form of tender and guard applied to a vehicle. ve icleis insured.

In the illustrated embodiment characterizing The improved bumpers 2 comprise parallel bars my invention, the improved fenders I and bumpv I8 and I9, each of which is provided with a loners 2 are shown in Fig. 1 as applied to a vehicle 3, gitudinal' curbed bead or tongue 20 and 2I, re-

both on the front and rear ends thereof. spectively, n he fr n e e thereof, the said The fenders I comprise two metallic base membeads 20 and 2| being in Opp Spaced relation bers 4 and 5, which are suitably curved longitudito each other. A cushioning member or element nally as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, to provide a 22 is p o d on the bars and d comfender which covers only the upper portion of the prises a bumper face 23 having a p 01' dove- 5 are adapted to be separately and rigidly secured are produc d by a Central longitudinal e ber to the body 6 of the vehicle by rivets I, or in any. 26 substantially T-shaped in cross section. The other suitable manner such as by being welded cushioning member 22 may be m uld d or thereto, and extend substantially straight outcanized on the bumper bars l3 and 19, V gt?- ward, one on top of the other from the body 6 of formed Sep y d S p 011 t eads 0 50 .the vehicle in spaced parallel relation to each and 2| of the bars.

other and are cross-sectionedl in the form of The modified form of fender construction as curved plates 1 and 8 from the outer longitudinal illustrated in Fi Which is adapted t cover edge of which project enlarged beads or tongues the side of the wheels of a vehicle,.comprises a 9 and IO, respectively, which are substantially single metallic base or foundation member 21,

which is adapted to be rigidly secured to the body 6 of the vehicle by rivets 28, or in any other suitable manner. The base member 21 extends substantially straight or horizontally outward from the body 6 of the vehicle and is curved to form a vertical extending apron portion 29 having parallel longitudinal tongues or retaining elements 3!! and 3| on the outer surface thereof,

which are substantially T-shaped in cross-section with rounded ends and provide a longitudinal groove 32, substantially T-shaped in cross-section. Secured to the base member 21, by being moulded or vulcanized thereto, is a cushioning element 33, which comprises a face or body portion 34 having a wing-like tapering extension 35 provided on the upper end thereof, which is adapted to overlie the upper surface of the base member 21. The face portion 34 of the cushioning element 33 is provided with longitudinal grooves 36 and 31, each of which are substantially T-shaped in cross-section and provide a T-shaped member 38 on the cushioning member. The grooves 36 and 31 in the cushioning element 33 interlock with the tongues 30 and 3|, respectively, of the base member 21, and the member 38 of the cushioning element interlockswith the groove 32 of the base member.-

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the face or body portion I2 of the cushioning member ll of-the fenders, together'with the beads 9 and 10, or 9' and ID, of the base members 4 and 5, are extended out from the fenders and joined to the ends of the bumpers by any suitable means, such as by the connecting plates or brackets 39. The face portion I2 of the cushioning member 9 may be extended along the outer edge of the running boards 40 of the vehicle. In a vehicle provided with narrow or no running boards the cushioning member may be eliminated therefrom.

It is desirable that the cushioning members or guards as applied to the fenders and bumpers should be painted or lacquered to conform to the same color of the vehicle, so as to be practically unnoticeable and not detract from the appearance thereof.

By constructing fenders and bumpers for vehicles with resilient'elements as above described, they will be protected against injurious contact and also aid in absorbing more serious shocks to further protect the vehicle against damage and its occupants against injuries. Also by connecting the bumpers to. the fenders the possibility of one vehicle hooking or interlocking with another vehicle is avoided.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a highly novel and efficient form of bumpers and fenders for vehicles, including a resilient guard for the bumpers and fenders which is well adapted for all the purposes indicated. Even though I have herein shown and described my invention as comprising certain details of construction, it will nevertheless be understood that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and wish to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A fender guard comprising in combination a pair of spaced parallel base members having enlarged tongues on their longitudinal outer edges and a resilient cushion mounted on said base members, said cushion comprising a body portion having a' longitudinal member and tapering extensions, said member being substantially T- shaped in cross-section and forming longitudinal grooves which interlock with the tongues of said base members.

2. A fender comprising in combination a metal base member having a horizontally and a vertically extending portion thereon, a pair of longitudinal retaining elements on said vertically extending portion of said base member, a groove provided on said base member and formed by said retaining elements, said retaining elements and said groove being substantially T-shaped in crosssection and a resilient cushion, a tapering portion, a horizontal retaining member and a pair of grooves provided on said cushion, said grooves of said cushion interlocking with the retaining elements of said base member and said retaining member of said cushion interlocking with the groove of said base member.

3. A guard comprising in combination a pair of substantially parallel base members having beads on their outer edges and a resilient cushion element interlocking with said beads and incasing said base members.

4. A guard comprising in combination a pair of spaced parallel base members and a resilient cushion element moulded on said base members, said cushion element having tapering extensions and grooves provided thereon, said extensions covering said base members and said grooves interlocking with the outer edges of the base members.

5. A fender guard comprising in combination a pair of spaced substantially parallel base members having enlarged tongues on their outer edges and a resilient cushion element moulded on said base members,'said cushion element .including a member clamped between the tongues of said base members, grooves interlocking with said tongues and tapering extensions substantially covering said base members.

GEOFFREY GALWEY. 

